Folder support for sewing machines



J. MANN June 17, 1930.

FOLDER SUPPORT FOR SEWING MACHINES FiledMarch 51, 1926 zSneetS-SnBQt lJune 17, 1930. J. MANN FOLDER SUPPORT F R SEWING MACHINES Filed March31, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 7 E :iriY 55%? v\ N w llx f mNM QN" L- .ll llI T IL Tillluv:

Patented June '17, 1930 UNITED srATs-s MACHINE COMPANY, OF CHICAGO,ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS FOLDER SUPPORT FOR SEWING MACHINESApplication filed March 31, 1926. Serial No. 98,751.:

The invention relates to new and useful improvements in folders forsewing niachines, and more particularly to the means for supporting thefolder.

An object of the invention is to provide a support for a folder which isadapted to be attached to the work support of a machine at either sideof the line of feed, and which is so constructed that the supportingmeans for the folder does not in any way obstruct the view of thestitching point by the operator of the machine.

A further object of the invention is to provide-a support for folders ofthe above type, wherein the folder can be adjusted transversely of itslongitudinal axis, lengthwise of its longitudinal axis, and also tiltedfor the purpose of properly positioning the folder relative to thepresser foot and the needles of the stitching mechanism.

These and other objects will in part be obvious and ill in part behereinafter more fully disclosed. I

In the drawings which show by way of illustration one embodiment of theinvention- I Figure 1 shows a front end of a portion of a sewing machinewith the improved folder and support therefor mounted there'- Fig. 2 isplan view of the folder and the support therefor, showing the supportlocated at one side of the folder in full lines and at the other side ofthe folder in dotted lines, also showing the guide for leading in thereinforcing strip, said guide being disposed on the same side of thefolder as the support for the folder in full lines and on the oppositeside of the folder in dotted lines Fig. 3 is a'view similar to Fig. 2,of the bottom of the folder, the supporting bracket only being indicatedby broken lines;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 44 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2. I

The invention is directed broadly to a support for folders preferably ofthe type for foldinga center plait. One of the purof this longitudinalaxis.

attached to the work support by screws.

poses of thisimprovedsupport for a folder is to provide means wherebythe folder sup port may be attached to the work support of the machineat either side of the line of feed, and another'purpose of this improvedI support for the folder is to provide a support which is attached tothe folder on the under side thereof so that the operator has 1 a clearspace over the folder in which to view the stitching point. To this end,the support for the folder consists of a bracket havin a oro'ectin rodor arm 'which bracket is capable ofvbeing adjustably attached to theunder side of the folder, and is so attached tothe under side of thefolder that it may be removed and inverted so as to project from eitherside of the folder. This bracket is mounted in the support which isadapted to be attached to-the work support of the machine, and thissupport is capable of being attached to the work support at either sideof the line of feed, and when so attached, have the same symmetricalrelation to the line of ,fe'edandthe.

The projecting arm or rod on the and slots which are disposed parallelwith the line of feed so that the folder can be adjusted bodily towardand from the needles in a direction parallel of the line of feed.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, 1

the folder consists of a body portion 1 preferably made from a flatsheet of metal folded into the form ofa fiat tube and having its edgessecured together as indicated at 2.

The walls of this flat tubular body portion are closely and uniformlyspaced so as to form a guiding channel for a strip 3. The side portions4 and 5 of this tubular folder are gradually turned underneath the bodyportion of the folder. The inner edges of spaced from each other, andare rigidly secured to a member 6 which serves in part 7mg strip.

to support the folder. This member 6 is provided with a groove 7 in itsupper face and the lower wall 8 of the body portion of the folder isprovided with a downwardly projecting rib 9 whichis associatedwith thisgroove in the support for the folder. A'reinforcing strip 10 is guidedthrough the channel formed between the folded underneath portions of thefolder and the central body portion thereof. The lower wall of the bodyportion of the folder has a projecting portion 11 which flattens thereinforcing strip after it leaves the folder and causes the edgesthereof to be forced into substantial contact with the infolded portionsof the fabric prior to the stitching thereof. The member 6 extends wellup toward the receiving end of the folder, and has a bracket 12 attachedthereto which serves as a leading-in guide for the reinforc- Thereinforcing strip passes through a slot 13 in this guide and along theunder face thereof, and is inverted and caused to make a forty-fivedegree turn around the edge 14 of the bracket 12. Said edge 14 asclearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings is formed by bending he metalinto a hollow bead, and said bead is disposed relative to the bracket sothat the bracket may be inverted and attached to the folder so as toproject on either side thereof." Said bracket is secured to the folderby the screws 12*. This invertible bracket 12 for the reinforcing stripper se forms no part of my invention, as my particular invention isdirected to the supporting bracket for the folder, yet this bracket 12 ris very useful in conjunction with my invertible supporting bracket, andin combination therewith is a part of my invention. Attached to theunder side of the folder is ashank portion 15. This shank portion 15isrigidly secured to the member 6 and provides a supporting means forthe folder. The folder is adapted to be mounted on a bracket 16.. Saidbracket, as shown in Figures 2 and 3 of the drawings, is provided with acylindrically projecting arm 17. The bracket has spaced supporting armswhich are provided with slots 16', 16, and screws 18, 18 passing throughthese slots rigidly secure the bracket to the folder. It .will readilybe seen. that this bracket 16 can be inverted and attached to the folderso that "the cylindrically projecting arm 17 may exi support.

tact with the arm 17. The main support 19 has a base member 22 which isprovided with elongated slots 23, 23. The base members are adapted to besecured to the work support S of the sewing machine as shown in Fig. 1of the drawings. This is accomplished by screws 24 whichpass through theslots 23, 23 and are threaded into the work Through this slot and screwconnection, the support -may be adjusted toward and from the needles a,n, and thus the folder brought closer to the presser foot or moved awaytherefrom. The material is fed underneath the. presser foot by anordinary feeding mechanism, and of course, the line of feed isparallelwith the length .of the presser foot as viewed in Fig. 1.

Through the aid of the screws 18, the folder can be adjustedtransversely of the line of feed. The folder can also be adjustedtransversely of the line of feed by loosening the screw 21 and shiftingthe sleeve 2.0 on the cylindrical arm 17. Through the aid of thecylindrical arm 17 a and sleeve 20, the front end of the folder can beraised or low-- ered relative to the presser foot. Through theseadjustments referred to, the folder can be properly set relative to theneedles. The main support on which the folder is mounted can also beplaced at either side of the line of feed. When the support 19 isshifted from one side of the line of feed to the other, then thecylindrical arm 17 is placed in the sleeve from the other end thereofand the bracket 16 is inverted. This keeps the folder located centrallyof the stitching mechanism.

It is obvious that minor changes in the details of construction of thebracket and supporting means can be made without departing from thespirit of-the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as'new and desire tosecure by Letters-Patent, is

1. In a sewing machine, a folder, abracket having a projecting arm,means for securing said bracket to said folder whereby the same may beinverted and the arm positioned so as to project from said folder ateither side thereof, a support in which said arm may be mounted, saidsupport being adapted to be shifted from one side of the folder to theother and attached to the work support of the machine, said projectingarm being cylindrical, and said support having a sleeve to receive thesame from either end thereof, and means for holding said arm in adjustedpositions in said sleeve.

2. In a sewing machine, ;a folder, a-

bracket having a projecting arm, means for securing said bracket to saidfolder whereby the same may be inverted and the arm positioned so as toproject from said folder at either side thereof,'a support in which saidarm may be mounted, said support being adapted to be shifted from oneside ofthe folder to the other and attached to the work support of themachine, said folder having a guiding channel for a reinforcing strip, aguiding bracket for receiving the reinforcing strip fed thereto in adirection substantially at right angles to the line of feed,

and for directing said strip into said channel, and means whereby saidguiding bracket can be inverted so that said reinforcing strip may bereceived from either side of the folder.

3. In a sewing machine, a folder, a bracket having a projecting arm,said bracket being constructed whereby the same may be inverted andattached to the folder so that the arm will project from either side ofthe folder as desired, means for securing said bracket to said folder, asupport having means for receiving said arm with the folder at eitherside of the support, and means for attaching the support to the worksupport of the machine.

4C. In a sewing machine, a folder, a bracket having a projecting arm,said bracket being constructed whereby the same may be inverted andattached to the folder so that the arm will project from either side ofthe folder as desired, means for securing said bracket to said folder, asupport having means for receiving said arm with the folder at eitherside of the support, and means for attaching the support to the worksupport of the machine, said means for receiving said arm beingconstructed so as to permit the folder to be adjusted laterally of theline of feed and tilted so as to raise or lower the front end of thefolder relative to the work support of the machine.

5. I11 a sewing machine, a folder, a bracket having a projecting arm,said bracket being constructed whereby the same may be inverted andattached to the folder so that the arm will project from either side ofthe folder as desired, means for securing said bracket to said folder, asupport having means for receiving said arm with the folder at eitherside of the support, means for attaching the support to the work supportof the machine, said means for receiving said arm being constructed soas to permit the folder to be adjusted laterally of the line of feed andtilted so as to raise or lower the front end of the folder relative tothe work support of the machine, and means whereby the support may beadjusted toward and from the stitching mechanism.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature.

JOSEPH MANN.

